African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real… Read more
86% ★★★★☆ (176,935)
In the Heat of the Night
Where to watch: History
Movie · Crime · Drama · PG-13
1967 · 1h 49m · ★ 86% (177K)
They got a murder on their hands. They don’t know what to do with it.
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates
Overview
African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie, the racist police chief of tiny Sparta, Mississippi. After Tibbs proves not only his own innocence but that of another man, he joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the town, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.
Director
Norman Jewison
Production
United Artists, The Mirisch Company
Cast
Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Peter Whitney, Lee Grant, Anthony James, William Schallert, Scott Wilson, Larry Gates, James Patterson, Quentin Dean, Kermit Murdock, Larry D. Mann, Matt Clark, Beah Richards, Arthur Malet, Fred Stewart, Timothy Scott, William Watson, Eldon Quick